there is so much going on here. it's got great writing, engaging characters, a fast paced story, and touches on all kinds of issues like class and race and immigration and abortion. it's set in the near future (2024; this came out in 2019) when laws have been passed to further restrict women and religious groups are ruling most things. this takes it all just a step or two further, and comes to totally logical conclusions. it's a warning, and it's a reminder of how things can be. it's powerfully done, with a strong voice and a couple of characters in particular that i was really rooting for.

this is really, really well done.

at first i couldn't believe the ending, but when i thought about it, it was the only thing that made any sense. but it was really too bad it had to end that way. i really wanted her to be ok and to be vindicated and for the right people to be blamed for the catastrophe. but in the end it's more powerful this way; somehow i just didn't see it coming. i'd gotten too caught up in her escape and her story. ( )

As an atheist, it was quite refreshing to read about an atheist protagonist, because sadly I haven’t read many books featuring one. Rory isn’t the perfect protagonist, but she’s the first to admit her faults. She acknowledges her privilege and her part in injustice as she’s attempting to right it. The other characters are developed just as well as Rory is. I completely loathed the character of Jinny and spewed horrible epithets at this fictional character. I also enjoyed the setup of the book in blog form with the flashbacks. It made for an intense and pulse pounding read.
This book surely won’t be for everyone, particularly conservative and devout readers who may take offense by the subject matter and coarse language. I loved how this book pulled no punches; it’s bold and brash, just like it’s protagonist. It shines a light on the hypocrisy often associated with religion and abstinence-only education. It also explores the subjects of immigration, sexism, alt-right violence, influencer culture, among others. The ending was an utter gut punch and I wish it could have been different, but it continued the theme of being bold. ( )

This story is bizarre and intense. Is this type of fanatical existence possible in 2024? One thing it definitely is is captivating. I was intrigued to find out what would happen in this twisty turny book.

Thank you to the author and publisher for an advanced copy of this book. ( )

Teens in the future dealing with issues like abortion, religion, wealth etc. Issues to think about but told in an exciting mystery and our story teller Rory Miller is very engaging. She and friend Fee are on the run. ( )

This Little Light by Lori Lansens is a dystopian (unless you belong to the Cult of Evangelicalism, in which case you might think just the opposite) novel set in the very near future (2024).

I was torn on a five star scale between a four and a five. The illustration of the current craziness taken to its logical end is important to understand. The inherent contradictions between what is said (and demanded of OTHERS) and what the hypocrites do are made crystal clear here. Even a high school student can see and understand the tremendous immorality and unethical "beliefs" of these people. And that is in addition to the dangers of both misusing and mismanaging social media. And, as is usually the case in the US, which is where this is set, those who pay the highest price are women and people of color.

The main thing that made me consider a four star rating was really more about my slowness in getting used to Rory's voice, that of a teenager. Namely a teenager in a privileged community and the types of speech they might use. But, in fact, I did become accustomed to the phrasing and the slang and, at least where I am, there are young people who speak like that and especially who post comments like that. So while it doesn't represent every young person, it does represent a fair number of those like Rory.

While the action of the immediate story takes place over just a couple days, we get background in flashback form. If you dislike flashbacks as a way to fill in the past without turning the book into a slower paced story taking place over a longer time frame, then you may get frustrated here. I found the flashbacks to be effective in slowly filling me in while the action spirals out of control.

I think there are probably many ways to understand this story. One is simply as a dystopian novel using current events taken to an extreme as the foundation. If, like me, you think we have already gone beyond extreme in our having a pathological liar as POTUS, faux Christians wanting to tell everyone what they can do, and a complete disregard for those different from us, then this is not just a novel but a warning that we need to stop this nonsense. By whatever means necessary! For me, this is a call to arms.

I recommend this to fans of dystopian literature as well as those who ask themselves every day 'what new hell are these faux Christians and their Trumpenfuehrer leader going to try to unleash on us today?' If you're one of them, well, you'll probably side with wackos in this book.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )